Horses electrocuted at Newbury racecourse
Written by
on 14 February, 2011 : 11:10
Two horses electrocuted in a tragic accident at Newbury racecourse are believed to have been killed by faulty underground cables punctured during maintenance work. Fenix Two and Marching Song suddenly reared up in pain before collapsing on the ground.
This incident may seem like a freakish one-off, but it is not the first time such a tragedy has occurred. A number of similar incidents over the years have been recorded as “unexplained equine death.” However, research published in 2008 in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science suggests that a high proportion of these incidents can in fact be attributed to electric shocks from underground cables.
The League hopes that lessons will be learned from this incident, and continues to campaign for improved welfare and safer conditions for racing animals.